Worringer Weekender

Worringer Weekender 2025
Second edition: May 30 - June 01

Art, music and subculture around Worringer Platz I 3 days, 14 locations, 45 acts I Free admission

Düsseldorf's alternative heart beats again at the end of May between the streetcar junction, billiard parlor and backyard gallery: the Worringer Weekender returns and transforms the often overlooked Worringer Platz into a stage for urban pop culture, artistic diversity and social encounters from 30 May to 1 June 2025. For three days, at 14 locations, with over 45 acts - and all with Free admission.

After the celebrated first edition in 2023, the second edition is more than just a continuation - it's a statement. A statement that exciting culture doesn't always need a red carpet. The Weekender shows that a place like Worringer Platz, which is away from the usual Düsseldorf glitz, is just the right stage for new ideas, raw art and musical discoveries.

A place with corners, edges - and character
"Worringer Platz is not a high-gloss location, but that's precisely why it's exciting for art and pop culture," says initiator Hamed Shahi, who became known for the New Fall Festival, among other things. Together with Kristina Kadagies, Thede Valentin and Finn Fox, Shahi has curated a program that not only plays but also tells stories - about the contradictions and possibilities of a district that cannot be squeezed into a glossy format. "We don't want to pursue gentrification," emphasizes Shahi, "but rather bring culture to where it can have an impact - in real life, among the people."

Between podcast, poetry and progressive sound
Musical diversity is also at the heart of the festival in 2025 - from electropop to post-rap, from ambient to indie. At WP8, for example, the cross-genre sound of Taroug meets the melancholic-melodic set by Valentin Brummer, while Rãn, part of the Habibi Act collective, dissolves boundaries between club culture and performance with their electronic-experimental mix. Thunder Bae, Heijenga, OSE and many more also bring fresh sounds to this traditional off-culture venue. But the Weekender is much more than just music. Literature and podcasts come together in Balkan World, for example: writer Lisa Tracy reads from her new work about female perceptions of the city, while the Cuns podcast with Meral and Lisa digs into urban realities and stories - directly from the neighborhood, for the neighborhood. Emily Grunert and Kaleb Erdmann can also be experienced here with their spoken word performances.

Art that gets involved
At the Weekender, art is not decoration, but discourse. The exhibitions are perfect for anyone who wants to explore the city, space and identity. Studio Lavalab is hosting the finissage of the annual Turbo Urban exhibition, which artistically documents urban transformations. At the Studio for Artistic Research, "About The Lux" explores light as a medium between visibility and invisibility, between power and magic. And with "Dimensions Variable Volume VII", the Kunstraum Reformator brings international positions of contemporary art into the discourse - unagitated, experimental and approachable.

For a kiosk beer with Lord Mayor Dr. Stephan Keller
On Saturday, May 31 at 6:30 pm, the Worringer Weekender invites you to a special encounter with Düsseldorf's Lord Mayor: In the midst of the festival action - without a stage, but with proximity and a genuine
a space for open exchange at the kiosk on site. The invitation is aimed at residents and visitors alike - a low-threshold, lively format that brings democratic participation to where life takes place: on the sidewalk, in the middle of the city.

A lost and found office becomes a stage - and an auction becomes a happening
There is also potential in the supposedly inconspicuous corners: in the lost and found office, people not only talk, but also bid at auction - selected bicycles, curated and humorously commented on. At the same time, the space serves as a backdrop for an intimate interview format that makes stories from the neighborhood visible.

From backyard to billiard parlor - 14 locations, 45 perspectives
Other venues include Postämtchen II, where the Get over it collective will be performing, Eiscafé Stefan with acts such as Soulside, Le Fichu and Steve Savage, Kreativraum D with the celebrated slam poet Sulaiman Masomi and Jana Goller, the Billiard Forum with DJ formats such as Karmaboy and the alternative House of Friends, where Christoph Westermeier not only decorates windows but transforms them into small galleries. Each location has its own charm, each performance represents a different perspective on art, music or urban society. The Worringer Weekender invites you to see the city anew - from the inside, from the movement, in the middle of the space in between.

A festival that not only plays, but moves
The Worringer Weekender 2025 is more than just a festival. It is both an invitation and an

intervention at the same time: "We want to show that the city can also be thought of differently," says Hamed Shahi. "With music, encounters and temporary stages - where you wouldn't expect them."

Locations

WP8, Postätmchen II, Eiscafé Stefan, Kreativraum D, Acker 11, lost and found office,
Billiard Forum, Erkrather Str. 6, Studio Lavalab, Studio for Artistic Research, Freibad, Balkan World, House of Friends

WP8: Thunder Bae, Herrmann, Habibi Act (Shadi Max, Rān), Heijenga, Taroug, Babuko, Valentin Brummer, OSE, Pekmez Papi, Hiphop Haltestelle (x Dennis Cibula)
Post Office II: Lost Tapes, Oh Henry, Sprachmemo, Get over it Kollektiv,
Rose Cavalier
Eiscafé Stefan: Soulside, Le Fichu, Steve Savage, Laura Rukavina
Creative space D: Murasaki Waves, Moody Monks, Sulaiman Masomi, Jana Goller, Johannes Floehr, Sprachi an die Welt
Field 11: Akanni Humphrey, Nardouvert, Jabul,
Lost and found office: Auction and interview
Billiard Forum: Beats & Billiard, Karmaboy
Erkrather Str. 6: Lennard Johnny Kuhl, Cosima, Kyanne
Studio Lavalab: Turbo Urban annual exhibition finissage
Studio for Artistic Research: About The Lux
Outdoor pool: Koda Kosmos, Hagen Keller Skulpturenbad
Balkan World: Lisa Tracy, Emily Grunert, Kaleb Erdmann, Cuns Podcast (Meral & Lisa)
House of Friends (window): Window design Christoph Westermeier
Kunstraum Reformator: Dimensions Variable Volume VII